Balloons and Propulsion

Credit: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

When we think of rockets (or jet engines) we rarely think of balloons. Instead, we think of the big rockets that carry satellites, supplies, or people into space. However, balloons and rockets are very similar. The only significant difference is the way the pressurized gas is produced. With rockets, the gas is produced by burning propellants that can be solid or liquid in form or a combination of the two.